Vitola: Lancero Especial- 6.75” x 43 ring gauge
- MSRP $11
- Samples provided by Villiger Cigars
Background
Villiger introduced the revamped La Flor de Ynclan in 2016 and it went on to very quickly garner great reviews, with Cigar Aficionado ranking it #10 for the year and Tobacco Business Magazine naming it their #6 cigar in the world. At this year’s IPCPR show, Villiger introduced a brand-new vitola: Lancero Especial.
“A cigar years in the making, Heinrich Villiger and Master Blender Matias Maragoto felt that the best version of…La Flor De Ynclan had yet to be released.” Only 500 boxes of 25 sticks are being produced each year for this size. The blend is made of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, an Indonesian binder, and an Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. They are made at the ABAM Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic.
Villiger sent me a couple samples of the Lancero Especial for review; this review documents the second one I smoked. Also, Jon reviewed this same cigar a few weeks back…be sure to check out his review.
Prelight
The band is a handsome with liberal use of silver foil and blue ink, along with red pin striping and shield and a black background behind the Villiger logo. The wrapper leaf was a caramel brown coloration with plenty of oils on that left a nice amount of residue on my fingers when I touched it. The cap was finished in a nice pig-or-fan-tail (it was hard to tell exactly since it had been smashed a little flat).
Giving the wrapper leaf a sniff, I picked up a strong earthiness, bordering on barnyard, along with touches of cedar and hay. The foot of the cigar gave off more sweet hay, as well as dry wood and an almost vegetal note.
The cold draw was good and had flavors of wood and hay and honey.
Flavor
Lighting up the Flor de Ynclan, I was greeted by flavors of earth and bread, backed up by a little pepper spice and some honey sweetness. Cedar was present mostly on the finish. The pepper started to build with continued puffing and was very present on the retrohale. The first few minutes of this cigar was rather impressive as it showed off the influences from different countries in a complex, but balanced, medium-bodied smoke. As the first third continued to burn, I got a very nice mix of sweet and spicy flavors, with earth, bread and woody notes all playing supporting roles.
The sweetness took on a more citrusy note in the second third, while pepper spice continued on as a dull heat and earth and bread made up more supporting role.
The final third of the Flor de Ynclan Lancero Especial saw the citrus notes recede a bit and the sweetness go back to a more honey note. Pepper spice stayed constant and notes of earth and bread held steady for a great base to the profile.
Construction
The draw was a little tight and necessitated re-cutting because I started to get some tarry buildup. The burn line was quite straight and the ash held on for almost an inch at a time.
Value
This is a very nice cigar and with the limited production the price could be higher. I’m happy to see it where it is.
Conclusions
The Flor de Ynclan Lancero Especial is an excellent cigar that only had a slight problem with the construction; as with many Lanceros, it just got too tight at one point. The flavors were fantastic, though, and I can see why this cigar was so highly rated. It was medium to medium-plus in body with a nice complexity that kept my interest from beginning to end.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
